The dismembered body of Carina Saunders, 19, was found in duffel bag
Wednesday, December 21 2011, 5:01 PM
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Carina Saunders, 19, was tortured and dismembered, Oklahoma police say. Her remains were found stuffed in a duffel bag in the Oklahoma City suburb of Bethany.
Bethany Police Department
Jimmy Lee Massey, 33, left, was arrested on a warrant for first-degree murder in the death of 19-year-old Carina Saunders. Francisco Gomez, 31, right, also was arrested in connection with the case. OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma City man kidnapped a 20-year-old woman and forced her to watch others torture and kill another woman so that she would cooperate with a human trafficking ring, police said Tuesday.
Jimmy Lee Massey, 33, was arrested on a warrant for first-degree murder in the death of 19-year-old Carina Saunders, whose dismembered body was found stuffed in a duffel bag in the Oklahoma City suburb of Bethany, Police Chief Phil Cole said. Formal charges are pending.
Massey was already being held in the Oklahoma County jail on drug charges and he remains jailed without bond. Court documents do not list an attorney for him.
An affidavit filed in the case said Massey told investigators he kidnapped the 20-year-old woman and forced her to watch others kill Saunders. He also provided details of Saunders' torture, killing and dismemberment and disposal of the body.
Cole said there was no evidence the 20-year-old knew Saunders, but she and Saunders both knew Massey. He said the kidnapping and killing were meant to send a message that the 20-year-old and her friends faced the same fate unless they cooperated with a human trafficking ring focused on prostitution and a related drug ring.
He said the 20-year-old's name was not being released because of concerns about her safety.
"Evidence in our investigation has led us to believe that she had been expected to provide certain things to this trafficking group and that she had not been performing to their satisfaction," he said.
Authorities also arrested Francisco Gomez, 31, of Oklahoma City, in the case.
Oklahoma County Assistant District Attorney Scott Rowland said his office has been in touch with police and is ready to review the request for charges but a decision on them is not likely until early January.
Rowland declined to discuss whether the drug charges that Massey was being held on were related to the killing.
"We're at a delicate point in the case and I want to be really careful about what I say," he said.
Cole said there's no evidence that Saunders, whose beheaded body was found Oct. 13 behind a Bethany grocery store, was involved in criminal activity.
"Our information right now leads us to believe she was a random choice, as sad as that is," Cole said. "She had relationships within these loosely associated people, and I think that she was a victim of opportunity."
He said investigators met with Saunders' family Sunday to bring them up to date on the developments.
"They are encouraged by this," Cole said, "they're hoping this is just one of many more that will be held to answer for their daughter's murder."
Jimmy Lee Massey, 33, was arrested on a warrant for first-degree murder in the death of 19-year-old Carina Saunders, whose dismembered body was found stuffed in a duffel bag in the Oklahoma City suburb of Bethany, Police Chief Phil Cole said. Formal charges are pending.
Massey was already being held in the Oklahoma County jail on drug charges and he remains jailed without bond. Court documents do not list an attorney for him.
An affidavit filed in the case said Massey told investigators he kidnapped the 20-year-old woman and forced her to watch others kill Saunders. He also provided details of Saunders' torture, killing and dismemberment and disposal of the body.
Cole said there was no evidence the 20-year-old knew Saunders, but she and Saunders both knew Massey. He said the kidnapping and killing were meant to send a message that the 20-year-old and her friends faced the same fate unless they cooperated with a human trafficking ring focused on prostitution and a related drug ring.
He said the 20-year-old's name was not being released because of concerns about her safety.
"Evidence in our investigation has led us to believe that she had been expected to provide certain things to this trafficking group and that she had not been performing to their satisfaction," he said.
Authorities also arrested Francisco Gomez, 31, of Oklahoma City, in the case.
Oklahoma County Assistant District Attorney Scott Rowland said his office has been in touch with police and is ready to review the request for charges but a decision on them is not likely until early January.
Rowland declined to discuss whether the drug charges that Massey was being held on were related to the killing.
"We're at a delicate point in the case and I want to be really careful about what I say," he said.
Cole said there's no evidence that Saunders, whose beheaded body was found Oct. 13 behind a Bethany grocery store, was involved in criminal activity.
"Our information right now leads us to believe she was a random choice, as sad as that is," Cole said. "She had relationships within these loosely associated people, and I think that she was a victim of opportunity."
He said investigators met with Saunders' family Sunday to bring them up to date on the developments.
"They are encouraged by this," Cole said, "they're hoping this is just one of many more that will be held to answer for their daughter's murder."
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/kidnapped-woman-forced-watch-teen-torture-death-article-1.995097#ixzz1hHwUxMkI
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